You might be wondering about how big your Bengal cat is going to get. There are lots of factors that could go into your cat’s size, such as how big the parents are or what breeds go into your Bengal cat’s heritage. So, how big are Bengal cats?
The Size Of A Bengal
Bengal cats are typically medium to large sized cats. They weigh roughly between 8 and 15 pounds. Typically, males are larger than females, with a size difference of a couple of pounds. Your male Bengal cat may be 10 to 15 pounds, while your female will generally be just a smidge smaller, at 8 to 12 pounds.
Why Are Bengals So Variable In Size?
Like other domesticated cats, Bengals come in a small range of sizes. The key to understanding why they come in a range of sizes is understanding what makes up a Bengal cat. Many pet Bengal cats are fifth generation cats or F5s. Before breeding Bengals to Bengals, breeders had to breed a domesticated cat with an Asian Leopard Cat.
The Asian Leopard Cat is a small wild cat. These cats are normally about 8 pounds, although they can range from roughly 3 to 16 pounds. That’s quite a range for these cats native to Asia.
When breeders began breeding the Asian Leopard Cat with domesticated cats, there were a few different breeds of cats used. The primary force behind breeding Bengal cats was Ms. Jean Mill. She used several different males, but one rather famous one was a feral domestic shorthair found in the New Delhi Zoo who lived around the rhinoceros exhibit. Tory, the cat, was colored like a leopard and added rich coloring to the breed. He is credited with making many of the cats have a shimmering coat, like they have been splashed with glitter.
Other cats have been used as foundation stock, depending on the breeder. The main domesticated breeds used in mating with Asian Leopard Cats are Ocicats, Egyptian Maus, Abyssinians, Bombays, and British Shorthairs. When looking at the size of these cat breeds, Bombays and Abyssinians tend to be smaller, roughly 6 to 11 pounds when not overweight. In contrast, British Shorthairs can be much smaller, around 11 to 18 pounds.
If your Bengal cat has a lot of British Shorthair in its ancestry, it is likely to be larger than a Bengal cat that was bred from Abyssinian foundation stock.
Learn more here about the breed history of Bengal cats.
Growing Kittens
Bengal cats take a long time to develop. They aren’t considered fully grown until they are a little over a year old. Like other growing cats, they start off small. Your Bengal kitten is generally going to only be 10 ounces or less when they are two to three weeks old. At around four weeks old, they will generally be close to 16 ounces, or one pound.
Over the next several months, the weight of your cat is going to double a few times. Around three months old, most kittens are approximately 3 pounds, while several months after that, they’ll be double that weight.
Overall the Bengal cat is considered a medium sized cat breed. They tend to be smaller than larger cat breeds like the Maine Coon, which can be almost 20 pounds (with some even larger). Bengal cats are typically larger than miniature or small cat breeds, such as the Munchkin cat, which is typically less than 10 pounds.
Adult Bengal Cat Size & Weight
When you have your adult Bengal cat, you will want to watch their weight carefully. Especially once they have been spayed or neutered, it’s easy for them to gain weight. Always consult with your veterinarian if you’re concerned about your cat’s weight.
If your cat is overweight, don’t feel bad. A large portion of domesticated cats are overweight, generally because we feed them too much. There are easy fixes for this problem, but they take time to implement.
First, you’ll want to put your Bengal cat on a diet. Limit the amount of food they are being fed and be careful to always measure it out, rather than just letting them free feed. Your veterinarian may suggest a special diet or weight management food for your cat to be on.
You will also want to make sure to keep your kitty active. There are lots of ways to do this, such as playing games with a laser pointer or teaching your cat to play fetch. These activities will enrich their lives and can also help improve the human-animal bond that you have with your furry friend.
Conclusion – How Big Are Bengal Cats?
Bengal cats are variable in size. As you can see, a lot of this relates to the cat breeds that were mated with Asian Leopard Cats to develop the breed.
When your Bengal has grown, it’s important to make sure that they don’t become overweight, which puts extra stress on their joints and puts them at a higher risk for metabolic diseases like diabetes.
Watch your cat’s weight carefully and don’t stress too much over whether they’re a large Bengal cat or a smaller one (but be willing and able to take action on the weight management side of things).
If you’re concerned that your Bengal is too big, then ensure you are feeding the right type of food and in the right quantities. Check out our guide here to the best food for Bengal cats for more info on what you should be feeding.
